Guard for musical instrument tuning keys



y 4, 1967 s. c. FAILLACI 3,329,054

GUARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TUNING KEYS Filed July 6, 1965 4rro/ewevs United States Patent Santo C. Faillaci, 6828 W. Mitchell St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53214 Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,408 Claims. (Cl. 84-267) This invention relates to a guard for the tuning keys of,

stringed musical instruments. As such, it finds particular utility when employed with instruments such as guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukeleles.

These instruments utilize gut or metal strings anchored in a tailpiece, srtetched over a bridge and keyboard, and fastened in revolving pegs extending through the head, or headboard, of the instrument. The pegs are employed as a means to adjust the tension on the individual strings of the instrument to tune the instrument. The pegs are rotated to increase or decrease the tension by means of tuning keys mounted on the lower end of the pegs or connected to the pegs through a right angle drive consisting of a worm wheel mounted on the lower end of the peg engaging a worm gear journalled in the underside of the headboard. The tuning keys in the latter instance are mounted on the ends of the worm gear at the side of the headboard.

In any event, the tuning keys are exposed either to the side or the bottom of the headboard. As such, they may be subject to displacement or dislocation when struck or jarred during the playing, handling, storage, or transport of the instrument. The above occurrence necessitates numerous retunings, often under adverse conditions, prior to or during the playing of the instrument, all of which may be irritating and disconcerting to the musician.

There have been numerous prior art attempts to solve this problem. In the main, these attempts have included mechanisms for wedging the pegs or jamming the worm drive, if the instrument is so equipped. These, however, have tended to be unsatisfactory in function and mechanically complicated. If the mechanism wedges the pig tight enough to prevent dislocation when the tuning keys are jarred, movement of the keys for tuning purposes is made similarly diflicult. Jamming mechanisms for peg worm drives also often interfered with tuning of the instrument. The complicacy of these latter mechanisms result from the requirements that the mechanisms resist the forces of the instrument strings, which are applied only in one direction while permitting the tuning key to be moved in both directions. A release mechanism is often required to apply and release the jamming action during tuning.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a guard for the tuning keys of a stringed, musical instrument which is simple in construction and effective in preventing accidental displacement of the keys with the resulting untuning of the instrument.

It is a further object of this instrument to provide such a guard which may be easily manufactured and used on existing equipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guard which may be added to or removed from the instrument as desired by the musician.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a guard for the tuning of keys of stringed instruments which includes a means for mounting the shoulder strap thereon.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification, and drawings, forming a part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stringed instrument having the guard of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the guard of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a view of a headboard having the different 3,329,054 Patented July 4, 1967 means of tuning the strings and including the guard of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown therein the headboard indicated by the numeral 2. Headboard 2 which may, by the way of example be that of a guitar, contains a plurality of pegs 4 which have holes extending therethrough in which strings 6 are threaded. Strings 6 are secured in pegs 4 by wrapping several turns of the strings around the peg. Pegs 4 are rotated to adjust the tension on strings 6 by means of tuning keys 8. FIG. 1 shows the tuning keys 8 placed in journals 10 on the bottom of headboard 2. Although not shown in FIG. 1, it may be easily appreciated that tuning keys 8 contain a worm gear on the inner end thereof which engages a worm wheel mounted on the lower portion of peg 4. Pegs 4 are rotated by turning tuning key 8. Also shown in FIG. 1, is tuning key guard 12, shown in greater detail in FIG. 2.

Tuning key guard 12 consists of a longitudinal base portion 14 extending the length thereof, having holes 16 for mounting the guard to headboard 2. Generally, longitudinal base portion 14 of tuning key guard 12 will be mounted parallel to, and between, the two rows of pegs 4. Tuning key guard 12 also contains a pair of sidewalls 18 extending downwardly from base 14 along its length. A pair of outwardly extending flanges 20 are mounted at the lower edges of sidewalls 18. The exact dimensions of sidewalls 18 and flanges 20 depend upon the instrument upon which tuning key guard 12 is to be employed. It will be appreciated, however, that sidewalls 18 must extend in depth a sufficient distance to allow tuning keys 8 to be turned by the thumb and fingers of the musician without striking flange 20. Further flange 20 must extend outward at least to, and preferably slightly beyond, tuning keys 8.

Tuning key guard 12 permits the instrument to which it is attached to be placed either on its back or side without incurring the possibility that tuning keys 8 will be displaced due to such positioning. Additionally, tuning keys 8 are protected from blows coming from similar directions.

FIG. 3 shows the headboard 22 of a guitar in which pegs 24 have tuning keys 28 connected directly to the bottom portion thereofpTuning keys 24 are held in position by the friction generated in the journalling of peg 24 in headboard 22. FIG. 3 also shows the use of tuning key guard 12 with such a peg configuration. Again, the downwardly extending sidewall 18 and the outwardly extending flange 20 of guard 12 must be sized to permit the musician to tune the instrument yet protect tuning keys 28.

Tuning key guard 12 may contain holes 30 which permit the shoulder strap 32 to be attached thereto in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

While the improvements have been shown and described herein as being specifically embodied in an accessory or attachment for a stringed musical instrument, it is contemplated that the invention may also be incorporated directly in or as an integral part of the headboard of the instrument.

Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, the invention consists in the provision of a spacer extending outwardly from the headboard between rows of tuning keys, and laterally extending flanges carried by the spacer and spanning the keys.

It is recognized that further alterations and modifications may be made to the tuning key guard above disclosed and that other embodiments suitable for similar instruments may be manufactured. It is intended to cover, in the appended claims, all such modifications and embodiments as come within the scope of one skilled in the art.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim: 1. A guard for the tuning keys of a stringed instrument comprising:

a longitudinal base portion suitable for mounting on the headboards of said instrument; sidewalls extending away from said longitudinal base portion on either side thereof; and outwardly extending flanges at the ends of said sidewalls positioned adjacent said tuning keys to protect said keys from accidental displacement. 2. The guard of claim 1 wherein said sidewalls are substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal portion and said outwardly extending flanges are substantially 15 perpendicular to said sidewalls.

3. The guard of claim 1 having a means for fastening the carrying strap mounted thereon.

4. The guard of claim 1 wherein said outwardly extending flanges have a means for fastening a carrying strap mounted thereon.

5. In a stringed musical instrument having rows of tuning keys carried by a headboard, a spacer extending outwardly from the headboard between the rows of keys, and laterally extending flanges carried by said spacer and spanning the keys to protect the same from accidental displacement.

No references cited.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

C. M. OBERBEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GUARD FOR THE TUNING KEYS OF A STRINGED INSTRUMENT COMPRISING: A LONGITUDINAL BASE PORTION SUITABLE FOR MOUNTING ON THE HEADBOARDS OF SAID INSTRUMENT; SIDEWALLS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID LONGITUDINAL BASE PORTION ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF; AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES AT THE ENDS OF SAID SIDEWALLS POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID TUNING KEYS TO PROTECT SAID KEYS FROM ACCIDENTAL DISPLACEMENT. 